Clamp



Unire FATENT FFIC.

LOUIS IB. CRAIG, 0F DAVENPORT, IOWA.y

CLAMP.

Specification of Letters llatent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Application filed November 3, 1920. Serial No. 421,610. (EItLED UNDER THE ACT GF MARGH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625;)

Vot' Davenport, county oi Scott9 State oi' Iowa, have invented an improvement in Clamps, of which the following is a specilication.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its oilicers or employees in proseeutionof work 'for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me ot any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is a clamp designed especially for securing a lspa-re wheel in place on a vehicle.

The main objects of the present invention are the provision ot a clamp which may be readily opened to receive a wheel and which may be quickly and effectively closed and held in closed position to retain the wheel.

ToV accomplish these objects, l provide a stationary stud, a swinging bolt, a pivoted retaining or clamp plate, means i'or holding the clamp in place, and means for operating the holding means and locking it in plate holding position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination ot parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ot the in vention herein disclosed may be made with- -in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clamp;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the clamp base plate;

Figure 3 is a similar View oit' plate; v

Figure 4- is a plan view of the locking nut and lever; and

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of a vehicle equipped with the clamps, the near wheel removed and the axle shown in section.

Referring to the drawings by numerals orn reference, a base plate 10 is provided which is apertured to receive screws or bolts by means of which it may be fastened to a suitable portion of the vehicle. Spa-ced apart the clamping ears 11 are formed on and rise from the plate adjacent one end thereof and these ears are apertured to receive a pin 12 by means of which an eye-bolt 13 is mounted for swinging movement between the ears. .ai collar le encircles a. median portion of the bolt to form a rest and the iree end oi the bolt above the collar is threaded as at 15.

Adjacent the other end of the plate, a pillar 1 is formed which is cored and tapped to receive a threaded post 17 formed with a head 18 preferably of rectangular cross section.

lThe head 18 is apertiufed to receive a pin 19 which. pivotally connects a clamping plate 2O 'to the head passing through eyes it'ormed inthe prongs 2l of the biiurcated end ot the plate.

The opposite end of the clamping' plate is formed with a recess 22 to permit such end to straddle the bolt 13 and rest or seat upon the collar lt. Y l

ri' nut 23 is adapted for threaded engagement with the threaded end 15 of the bolt 18 and is provided with recesses or 'sockets for the reception of angularly disposed ends 24 ol" a resilient loop lever 25 by means of which the nut may be threaded on or ott and the loop end of which is adapted to engage over the head 18 when the nut is screwed home to hold the nut against aceidental displacement.

For the purpose of releasably the lever 25 in its position, looped over the head 1S, grooves 26 are provided in those opposite faces of the nut 23 in which the sockets are termed and into these grooves the sides of the .lever snap when the lever Afolded down upon the head 18.

.ln practice, the device is operated in the following manner. The looped lever 25 is lifted from its position upon the head 18 and is then used as a lever or handle by which the nut 23 is threaded oil' oi the bolt 13. lWhen the nut has been threaded ott to a sutlicient distance, the bolt 13 may be swung on its pin 12 to disengage from the recessed end of the clamp plate 20. The plate 2O may then be swung` on the pivot pin 19 to give a clear space between the pillar 16 and ears 11 for the reception of a rim and tire of a spare wheel. The wheel having been placed in position, the clamping plate is swung down uponits rim, the swinging bolt swung up to enter the recess 221 the retaining otall-y secured to the nut threaded on to clamp the parts in place and the lever 25 brought down into position upon the head 18. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters vPatent is:-- Y

l. AV clamp including a base plate, spaced apart ears rising from the base plate adjacent one end thereof, a pillarI rising from the base plate adjacent its other end, a bolt mounted for. swinging movement between the ears,'a collar formed on the bolt, a post mountedV in the pillar, a clamp plate `pivpost ancL having a recessed end to straddle the holt and seat upon the collar, a nut adapted for threaded engagement With the bolt and having sockets and grooves communicating with said sockets formed in opposite faces thereof, and a loop lever Vformed with angnlarly disposed ends adapted to enter the sooketsvto pivotallv connect the lever to the nut, the sides Voii the lever adapted to snap into the groove when the lever 1s in closed position, and

the loop of the lever adapted to embrace the head of the post to lock the lever and nut against movement relative to the bolt.

A clamp including a base plate, a bolt connected for swinging movement'to the plate adjacent one end thereof, a post connected to the plateV adjacent its other end7 a clamping plate pivotally connected to the against movement relative to the bolt, the `Y nut and lever (1o-operating to retain the lever in detachable engagement with the post. Y

A clamp including a base plate, a bolt connected for swinging movement to the plate adjacent one endthereot', a post con- Y neeted with the plate adjacent its other end,

a clamping plate connected to Athe Vpost to be swung into and out of engagement with f the bolt, means for securing the clamping plate to the bolt, andmeans, lincluding the securing means, engagea-ble with the post for releasably retaining the `securing means in clamping position. v Y Y 4f. A clamp including a hase plate, a Vbolt connected to the plate adjacent oneend thereota post connected with the plate adjacent itsother end. a clamp plate connected to the post and movable into and ont of engagement With the bolt', means :tor secar;-

ing 'the plate to the bolt, and means including the securing means, engageable with the post for releasablv retaining the securing means in secured position.

Lorne 13; onine- 

